Article dispensing and conveying system



June 10, 1952 P. M. FARMER ARTICLE DISPENSING AND CONVEYING SYSTEM 2 SHEETSISHEET 1 Filed March 15, 1946 I I I l l l I I INVENTOR. Paul Mia/mar 2 (Q a I213 Aflornqy June 0', 1952 P. M. FARMER I ARTICLE DISPENSING AND CONVEYING SYSTEM Filed March 15, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 fiQSE v 4 INVENTOR. Paul M ibrmer 11/5 Alluring the items of 'separaterorders or groups ture is not required. The disclqs equivalent structures may zbe' employed veoncal large-scale xdispensinefiof merchandise selected articles from storage, .andsegre ating mthe number of orders thatGanibeljlandled in .-a; iven;perlod of time.

Patented June 10, 1952 i tra n? ARTIQLE DISPENSING AND GONY-ESEING SYSTEM' Par! F rmer W t'Qransa N, J- Application Ma'rch-B, 1946, Serial No.;fi54,929 .5 19 4.

1 This invention relates to'systems-and apparav Another oloj ect p f 'tlie invention to p b v iatei tus for the mechanical handling of-mercha se il y of v m'eff articles, andtheircollection and seeresatlen 99 v 1 Qifdr p separate orders or lots. Systems of'this charg er elen en upgggn are particularly adapted fer use in retail s; 5 conveyor pelt pr mail orders establishments and 331 =lil W11 .2 lm Qllfi y; multiplicity of different items are stored co r}: siderable volume audit is necessary 9 Sl3li deliver groups of desired items to a wrappiggg 9r assemblystation as rapidly .as possible- An efiicient artieleestera'ge and difi finfimg Y7 tem to which the present invention applicable may'comprise one or more 'zanrays of disp g elements, each adapted store a supply 9; a single item, with an electrically operated-selector for releasing desired items iron; the respective dispensing elements and'a rcnnyiettQr for r A w ferring the selected items tothe ppintef asselgyly, J M p cql l eyor jge lt inacas described in .detail'in mypprior pater 1 ts,- l lgs. cgrdapqe U I he inY h h d p 2,276,293 or 2,446,643, At the point-9f assent-ply, 20 Fig. 3 isf'a fr I of a units lqwigga emisxred an l k k t i'e f othe 1. 1 1 sfaiid,

eiet as automatically segregated inoac so danq N H Q principles disclosed in'my prior patent, liq.

op .jelevatigns, r 2,276,294,:although.in some insta lat on I m n prior patents are'hereby incpmqrrated filifi rfi l .epect sljy i a 119 cut disclosure. Be ferringto s; i

'It will'be understood that other similar or principles o nection with'the present invention -.$i Qe no a tempt has been made to ;describe alloi-the modifled forms of selecting, dispensing and qqnveying appara-tusthat .can be employed in thegnechamapparatus has :been developed'ito the point Where 35 9 313??? I: l -Th n l r very rapid selection and dispensing irom a lareetrate diagrammatica y thel el 0 hip'liq assortment :of articles is-an zacc,omp'l'ished ta t mpl ry f rms f dispen 'y' and coribut the importance of other factors mus;t no t;he overlooked. The -.problems of cgnreying the and-handling therrespective. orders safely, speedily and accurately have to be especially CQIISiQEJQQd. In accordance with one featured the present invention, improved means-suchas :hoppers are provided to direct the articles released efrom groups of dispensingelements upon the conveyor I belt or other transfer mechanism $1 01 the purpose of reducing :the :time interval which must be allowed between .separatelgroupslof iitems, compri s ing separate orders, tprevlentgmixin items ,of an order ,with-the precedinglorasucceeding ;0 de Accordingly it is one object of the invention t increase the efficiency.ofrthesystem rand-thereby enha ce z h rcapacityzof the system with respec trnq lled' ri ir at Y tau 3 lease an item stored therein upon the moving conveyor belt II. In order'to accommodate a considerable number of varieties of items, the frontage of such an array of dispensers along conveyor belt ll would be such that several seconds of time would be required for an article deposited on the conveyor belt at the most remote (from delivery point [1) end of the array to travel to the least remote end of the array. If dispensed items were therefore allowed to drop directly from the dispensers onto. the conveyor belt, it would be necessary for an equivalent period of time to elapse between the time that the last item of an order were dispensed and the time that the first item of the next succeeding order were dispensed, to prevent items of one order becoming associated with the next succeeding order. This time, plus a slight additional time margin to insure clean-cut distinction between separate orders is designated as separation time between orders; It will thus be seen that any reduction which can be made in the separation time will directly increase the handling rate of such an order assembly system.

Under the present invention an article released from l2 would be channeled or directed, by means described later herein, along path IE to a'point on conveyor belt I l near the least remote end of the array, whereas an article dispensed from I3, at a lower level, and nearer the least remote end, could be channeled to a point somewhat more remote from delivery point ll. It will be noted that if articles from any point in the array were channeled instantly to one given point on conveyor belt I I, that the separation time (except for the slight time margin'mentioned) could be cut to zero. One reason for channeling those from the dispensing element l2 and adjacent elements may be guided along the path IE to fall on the belt at a different point from those released from element l3. The conveyor belt ll may also be tilted transversely of its length, as shown, so that articles dropped thereon will slide to one edge against the longitudinal rail [8; or deflector plates may be provided adjacent the upper surface of the belt as shown in Figs. 3-5. In this manner, articles released from the dispensing elements in the array It) are prevented from dropping upon or clashing with previously released articles resting upon the conveyor belt H. In addition, the articles released from the more remote dispensing elements, instead of dropping vertically upon the conveyor belt, are

, deflected in the direction the belt travels, thus from an upper level to a diiferent point on the V conveyor belt fromthose dispensed from a lower level, is to compensate for the time required for articles to fall the greater distance from the upper level. In this manner by channeling articles from upper levels to points closer to the delivery H 7 point, positioning of articles on the conveyor belt becomes more uniform in spacing, the separation time between orders can be reduced to a very small amount and the handling rate of the system correspondingly increased. However in a system where the dispensing elements can drop merchandise items in rapid succession onto the conveyor belt or other transfer means, it is also necessary to prevent the possibility of one article falling upon or clashing with a previously released article resting on the belt or striking in mid-air against an article released at a different time from a different level.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the channeling of articles to definite selected points on theconveyor belt I l is designed to eliminate injurious clashing betweendifierent articles. Since it is usually convenient to arrange the dispensing elements in tiers exceeding eight or ten feet in height, the speed of selection leads to the diificulty that one article, released for example from dispensing element l3, may be dropped upon an article previously released from the element l2, with the possibility of damaging one or both items. In accordance with the present invention, chutes or guides are provided to direct the articles released from the dispensing elements to a position on the belt vll which is clear or free of previously dispensed items within one-half second or other necessary time interr val imposedby the rate of operation ofthe selec-' tor. As described above, the articles released shortening the. transfer time and permitting selections to be effected more rapidly.

' The number and arrangement of the chutes depends upon the cycling rate of the selectorand the dimensions, particularly the height, of the array of dispensing elements- It should be borne in mind that two dispensing elements, one directly above-the other, may be. actuated on successive selections. Since a falling object drops approximately four feet in one-half second, the articles from elements in the same vertical row reach the conveyor almost the same instant if the first one selected is more than four or five feet above the second (on the assumption of a selection rate of approximately one per half-second).

Accordingly the groups of dispensingvelements are preferably sectionalized in upper and lower parts and separate chutes provided for each part. It will be'further understood that the dispensing element array l0 may and ordinarily would be combined with other arrays, arranged opposite or serially along the conveyor.

The construction shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 represents a preferred embodiment of the principles set forth above. By Way of example, atravelling conveyor belt 21 is shown as disposed'in front of andbeneath an array of dispensing elements 22, each comprising an inclined channel or shelf forming a storage space for articles as described in my Patent No. 2,353,394 above referred to. Articles released from the :dispensing elements 22 in response to the operation of the selector, as explained in my prior patents, drop on the conveyor belt 2| for transfer to the assembly or wrapping station 23. The detailed construction of the dispensing elements is not shown in order to simplify the drawings. The station 23 is illustrated as including order-segregating equipment of the type described in Patent No. 2,276,294 but, as stated above, such equipment would not necessarily be employed in carrying'out the invention. As shown, the conveyor belt 21 is supportedby pulleys 24 and 25, and is driven by a motor 26. Other forms of conveyors, such as an-inclined chute, could be used. A motor 21 is shown for driving the segregating belt 28. The specific forms of these elements of the system form no part of the invention except as. they are used therewith, as will be explained.

In accordance with the invention'yguiding means in the form of hoppers 3|, '32'and33 having outlets or openings 34, 35 and 36, respectively, at the bottom thereof are provided for directing articles released from the storage area to predetermined points on the conveyor belt 2|. The chutes or hoppers are preferably but not necessarily constructed of canvas or'sirnilar strong, pliant material. An additional chute Ior chutes hopper. Furthermore, that-height of the. tier of dispensing elements serveclbyfiaeh hopper is so restricted that an ,article;-,released therein will drbponithebelt and be movedsaside by the :movement :of 'the belt before, another article'released on theisubse'quentselection mto-the same=hopper can reach the surface of. thel belt. In thewonstruction shown, two hoppers '32 and 3-3 @are-provided for the bottom half of the dispensing array because the elevationbf theilower tiers above the belt 2| is such that the slope of the bottom portion of a single broad hopper would not 'be great enough "to chutethearticles properly. lh'e openings 35 and 36 of the hoppers 32 and 33 are in line along the conveyor belt but deflectors or baffles 38 arranged above and cross-wise of the belt redistribute the articles to a position on the front section of the belt (as viewed in Fig. where they are not carried beneath the openings in other chutes; or the belt may be tilted as shown in Fig. 2.

It should also be noted, as explained above in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, that the chutes are arranged to deliver articles released from the dispensing elements most remote from the wrapping station 23 to advanced positions on the conveyor belt, thus reducing the time of transfer to the wrapping station or assembly point. The construction shown can be modified in various ways in accordance with the underlying principles set forth, as by varying the relationship between the dispensing array and the conveyor means.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a modification in which a plurality of transverse conveyor belts 4|, 42 and 43 are disposed beneath the front of the dispensing element array consisting of tiers of dispensing elements 44, 45 and 46 arranged side-by-side. The central belt 42 is alined with the elements 45 and is extended to the delivery or segregating station 41. Where the distance to delivery point is not great, a single wide belt may prove preferable. No chute or hopper is shown in connection with dispensing elements 45 but baffles 48 may be provided to deflect articles away from the edges of the belt. The articles released from the dispensing elements 45 are of such character as to Withstand any accidental contact or clashing with each other. Hoppers 5| and 52, of canvas or other suitable material, direct articles from the upper sections of elements 44 and 46, respectively, through the openings 53 and 54 onto the belts 4| and 43. Similarly hoppers 55 and 56 direct the fall of articles from the lower sections of elements 44 and 46 upon points on the belts 4| and 43 laterally spaced from each other and from the openings 53 and 54. Curved baflles or deflectors 51 and 58 are arranged, as shown, to channel the articles on the short belts 4| and 43 onto the belt 42 for transfer to the assembly point. Thus in accordance with the principles set forth above, articles released on successive selections are prevented from dropping on or clashing with each other and in such a manner as to minimize the separation time between successive orders. As explained above, the invention is especially applicable to an article dispensing and conveying system in which articles stored in tiers 'or arrays of dispensingmnitszzare released at mtervals greater .athanx a predeterminedcrtime interval, for example ioneelialfxseconmumpon;.a conveyor belt or belts for .transter to anz'assembly or wrapping station. T a.

It will be apparent that Ii -the kinventionxbyrczm ordinating the timing o'f the .releasevbf .iasticles with the location from-which the'y;:a"re released al't'itude and "qongnuaep' .and theipositionon the belt to which they:fare:channelediproyides :a simple and effectiveameans zofxobriatingadamage to articles handled in ahigmspeedwce'nveyonsysr temor this kind, and :increasesihesspeed .of order assembly. Various"modificationstof.zthe system maybe made without .departin'gdromI the scope er the invention. V

veyor belt in frbnt r'of 'saidara'rray andimeansato deliver articles thereto from said dispensing'elements at a poi-nt above the lower edge of the belt to minimize the possibility of dropping one article upon another resting on the belt.

2. In an article-handling system, in combination, storage means for a multiplicity of articles, said storage means having a compact substantially in-line array of delivery openings through which the respective articles are released after selection, a conveyor belt for transferring released articles to a separate location and a plurality of guides having top openings each disposed beneath a group of said delivery openings to receive articles dropping by gravity from said storage means, said guides further having bottom openings above spaced points on said conveyor belt, the bottom opening of a guide handling articles from more remote delivery openings being ahead of a bottom opening handling articles from delivery openings nearer said separate location.

3. In an article-handling system, in combination, storage means for a multiplicity of articles. said storage means having a compact vertical array of delivery openings through which the respective articles are released after selection, conveyor means beneath said delivery openings for transferring released articles to a separate collection point and a plurality of guides to receive articles dropping by gravity from said storage means and direct them to said conveyor means, one of said guides having a top opening opposite an upper group of said delivery openings and a bottom opening above an advanced point on the conveyor means, another of said guides having a top opening opposite a lower group of said delivery openings and a bottom opening above a point on the conveyor means behind said firstgientioned bottom opening to equalize transfer ime.

4. In an article-handling system, in combination, tiers of storage elements for a multiplicity of articles, said storage elements having a compact array of delivery openings through which selected articles are released, said delivery openings constituting groups arranged one above another, each of said groups being limited in vertical span to the distance which a, released article falls in the minimum interval between successive release operations, separate guides each having a top opening to receive articles falling by gravity from a separate group of said delivery openings, a, conveyor beneath said guides to transfer articles to a separate collection point and means including said guides for distributing released articles on said conveyor to minimize the possibilities of clashingbetween a fallingarticle and another article previously? released into any of saidguides and resting on the belt. i j' "1'1" p v 5. In an article-handling system; of the character described,'in combination, tiers-of storage elements for a multiplicity of articles, said storage elements having a compact array of delivery openings through which selected articles are released, said delivery openingsconstituting'groups arranged oneiabove another; each of said groups being limited in vertical span to the distance which a released article falls in the minimum interval between successive release operations, a

conveyor beneath said delivery openings to transfer released articles to a separate collection-point, means for causing transverse movement of articles resting on said conveyor in'transit to said point and a guide extending between the bottom of each group of delivery openings and said conveyor, said guides having outlets above said conveyor. r

PAUL M. FARMER REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent; a i

5 UN'ITED s'r u ns PATENTS Number D "Name Date 326,153 Richards Sept. 15,1885 699,690 Leetham May '13, 1902 10 749,459. I Stevens Jan; 12, 1904 1,093,815 Whittier v Apr. 21, 1914 1,109,284 Friel 'Sept. 1, 1914 1,332,356 Olson Mar. 2, 19201 1,358,913 Young 'Nov. 16, 1920 15 1,646,714 Taylor 1 Oct. 25', 1927 2,355,798 Delucchi Aug. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date Germany .1 Nov. '7, 1932 

